Before my father opened his own store, he was a management trainee for a big-city variety chain in 1929-30. I have the "Rules for Salespeople" booklet he was given, which includes strict orders on everything from how to greet customers, determine if coins are counterfeit, dress, comport oneself, and more. It’s a fascinating look at a lost world of retail that shaped the merchant my father became. Click below to read the entire booklet.

Forty years ago today—March 6, 1986—I was a contestant on Jeopardy!